Microsoft is starting to roll out age verification prompts today as part of its compliance with the UK Online Safety Act. If you’re 18 or over and sign into an Xbox experience with a Microsoft account in the UK, you’ll start seeing these notifications to verify your age.
This isn’t just a suggestion; starting early next year, this age verification will be a requirement to keep full access to social features on Xbox, like voice and text communication and game invites. So, if you’re in the UK, you might want to get on this sooner rather than later to avoid any interruptions to your online gaming experience.
Microsoft will have verification checks
For now, these age verification checks are optional. But, as I mentioned, early next year, they’re going to become a requirement. If you don’t verify your age between now and early 2026, you’ll still be able to play and enjoy Xbox, but your social features will be limited to friends only until you complete the process.
The good news is that verifying your age won’t affect any of your previous purchases, entitlements, gameplay history, achievements, or your ability to play and buy games. So, all your hard-earned progress and digital goodies are safe, but it’s still a good idea to verify now to keep those social features fully open.
If you’re in the UK and ready to get this done, there are a few easy ways to verify your age. You can do it on your mobile device by scanning a QR code or by signing into your Microsoft account online. Microsoft offers several secure methods for verification, including providing proof of a government-issued ID, age estimation, a mobile provider check, or even a credit card check.
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More age checks are coming to UK
The company has also made it clear that any information you provide during this process is protected with industry-standard encryption and won’t be stored or used for any other purpose. It’s good to see them focusing on privacy while also ensuring safety.
While this age verification process is currently rolling out in the UK, Microsoft has said that it plans to evaluate how it can keep players around the world safe and learn from this UK process. They expect to roll out similar age verification processes to more regions in the future.
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They’ve also noted that there’s no “one-size-fits-all” solution for player safety, so these methods might look different depending on the region and the experience. They’ll continue to work with local communities, publishing partners, and regulators to find the right approach that respects player privacy while still maintaining the Xbox gameplay experience.
For parents and caregivers, Microsoft encourages setting up child or teen accounts, as these don’t require age verification. These accounts allow for managing gaming activities like screen time, spending limits, and privacy settings through the Xbox Family Settings app. It’s always a good idea to utilize those tools to keep younger players safe online.
Source: Microsoft
